Victoria: 2669 posts

Cuir d’Ange is the most recent addition to the Hermès Hermessence collection, a line of fragrances sold exclusively at the house’s boutiques. The idea is to capture the nuances of famous Hermès leather, which smells of flowers and musk. The perfumer behind it is Jean-Claude Ellena, a master of the most ethereal and delicate compositions, and as you would expect, Cuir d’Ange, Angel’s Leather, stays true to its name. It’s wispy and sheer, as if the leather that inspired it was polished to remove any traces of animal funk and made to smell like someone’s clean skin.

Cuir d’Ange is pure comfort. Although I like to think of myself as someone unafraid of the raunchiest animalic scents, my favorite leathers in perfume bottles are soft and cuddly. I’m more in the camp of Bottega Veneta than that of Robert Piguet Bandit on most days. So, here you go. For this reason, the first time I smelled Cuir d’Ange, I felt that I discovered my ideal leather–creamy, suave, and mild. On the other hand, if you want the odor of a beaver in heat and don’t wish to settle for anything less, Cuir d’Ange will strike you as wimpy and bland.

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Final Update (September 25th): The draw is now closed. I’m going through all of the submissions, and I will announce the winner next week.

Update: Today is the last day to donate to Doctors Without Borders, an exceptional charity organization, and get a chance to win a bottle of rare, vintage Guerlain Mitsouko and La Petite Robe Noire (not vintage, of course, but brand new and still sealed). Thank you!

Update: This is a reminder that the draw for Mitsouko is still running. Thank you very much to everyone who participated. I tallied up the preliminary results, and we have raised $4,000 for Doctors Without Borders!

Meanwhile, we have had an extra contribution to the contest–a brand new, sealed 50ml bottle of Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum. It means that after drawing a winner for Mitsouko, I will select a second name for La Petite Robe Noire. Thank you for your generous offer, Ann!

It has been a violent year in different parts of the world, and for many months, I’ve been reading the news and feeling utterly helpless. What can one do to help in the face of such terrible suffering and strife? One of my most immediate responses was to donate money to a reputable charity organization. I thought that perhaps others may feel the same way.

I propose donating to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, any amount you wish, and in return, you will be entered into a contest for a 30ml (1 oz) of Guerlain Mitsouko Extrait de Parfum.

It’s vintage, from the 1970s-early 1980s, in my estimation. Unopened. Has all of its tassels. It is a complete presentation, including the outer box. An old price tag shows $85, but 1 oz of modern Mitsouko costs around $350, while the vintage in this condition has collectible value. The best part is that the perfume has all of its oakmoss and other, now forbidden, bits intact. Since it has not been opened, I can’t tell exactly how it will smell, but it smells wonderful around the stopper, and it has been stored in a cool, dark place. It was purchased from a gentleman whose family owned a perfume boutique in Mexico and imported fragrances from France. All other perfumes I bought from his old stocks, including Guerlains, turned out to be exceptionally well-preserved and were pronounced as authentic by my perfumer colleagues.

It is one of the most precious perfumes in my collection, and I have been waiting to open it for a special occasion. But if the money it raises will go towards a good cause, then I have no regrets in parting with it.

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In my latest article for the Financial Times Magazine, I wrote about the malaise affecting lavender. Another problem lavender farmers face is due to the new EU regulations. As ABC News reports, “They fear European Union rules adopted last year and due to come in force by 2018 will threaten [them]. According to regulators, lavender oil’s potential to produce allergies places it firmly within regulations on chemical toxins. That means lavender products will have to bear labels involving bold black and red warning labels with messages such as “CAN BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED.” Producers say the rules are too extreme — they note that lavender oil allergies usually produce only rashes — and too expensive for small farmers.”

You can read more about this issue in Lavender Farmers Rebel Against EU Regulations.

One thing is important to keep in mind. Lavender is not the only material that falls under the umbrella of REACH directive (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). REACH applies to all chemicals imported or produced in the EU. Whether lavender essential oil deserves to be classed in the same group as hydrochloric acid is open to debate.

The main argument you hear from brands launching one bland, derivative perfume after another is that consumers like this sort of thing and that it is impossible to come up with an easy to like and uncomplicated perfume that holds the attention and smells interesting. But Bottega Veneta Knot, the new fall launch, proves that this reasoning doesn’t have much merit. If you want a fragrance that is as versatile and stylish as a little black dress, then this radiant orange blossom has much to recommend itself.

Bottega Veneta’s first perfume was a leather-moss blend attuned to today’s fashions, with emphasis on radiance, softness and bright top notes. Knot’s basic idea is sheer as tulle orange blossom edged with vanilla and musk. Orange blossom is derived from the flowers of a bitter orange tree, and depending on how it’s processed–melting the flowers in a solvent or distilling the essence with steam, the result will be different*. The former gives you orange blossom absolute with its sweet, sumptuous notes, and the latter–neroli oil redolent of green buds of spring. Knot blends both of these essences and sheers them out with citrus juice and featherweight musk. The result is as fresh as a classical cologne, but with a curvier body.

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Creating a best-selling perfume today is as hard as making a profitable one. The increasing costs of distribution and advertising cut so much into the margins that everything else becomes secondary. Which is why you see time and again big brands launching safe, bland perfumes. And not only big brands. As you can see from Vent de Folie, the newest release from Annick Goutal, the aim is to be likable, rather than interesting or memorable. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with likable or simple or easy. I simply don’t  want to overpay niche prices when I can find comparable simple, easy perfumes elsewhere.  Vent de Folie is disappointing not because it is simple, but because it neither captures the eccentric, charming spirit of the Goutal perfume house nor does it offer a good deal for its price. If you want a little transparent floral, you need not spend niche prices; L’Occitane, Crabtree & Evelyn, Bath & Body Works and scores of other reasonably priced brands are just as good, if not better.

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